The present invention relates to networked conferencing and collaboration systems, particularly synchronous web conference systems.
The rapid growth of networked communications over the last decade, particularly Internet communications, has produced numerous new methods of business communications, e.g, between members of a workgroup. For example, many activities that were previously carried out primarily by face-to-face meetings of team members congregating at a single location in a conference room can now be carried out electronically in “virtual” conference rooms via computer communications mechanisms. The participant in virtual conferences can be quite distant from one another, but communicate quickly, conveniently and effectively. Such virtual conferencing capability is known as “networked conferencing” or “web conferencing”.
There are two primary types of web conferencing: synchronous and asynchronous. Asynchronous conferencing does not occur in real-time, but relies on common access to text, video, images and other resources stored on a server. Generally, interaction between participants in asynchronous conferences is not immediate or conversational, but more like letter writing. Examples of mechanisms useful for asynchronous conferencing include: Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), Usenet Newsgroups, E-mail, Group forums (e.g., Yahoo groups), etc.
Synchronous conferencing, by way of contrast, occurs in real-time or near real-time, with a high-degree of immediacy and exhibiting a more conversational style of interaction. Examples of synchronous communications mechanisms useful in synchronous conferencing include: Instant Messaging (IM), video conferencing, Voice over IP (VOIP), streaming audio and/or video, etc.
Most of the “basic”, unmoderated synchronous communications mechanisms, such as IM, have a bit of a “free-for-all” feel to them, with many simultaneous cross-conversations going on at once. Most true networked conferencing systems are moderated, whereby a designated moderator controls who can participate and who can “speak” at any given time. In most business settings, the more organized nature of moderated conferencing is greatly preferred. Modern networked conferencing systems also provide security and encryption features so that only authorized participants are able to view the conference materials and discussion.
Moderated conferencing places control over who may present what at any given time in the hands of a moderator typically the individual who arranges, schedules and organizes the conference. The moderator sets up the conference, determines when it will occur, determines who will attend, sends out “invitations”, etc. . . . Many conferencing systems also provide advanced scheduling mechanisms to permit the conference to be scheduled around the availability of specific critical participants.
In setting up the networked conference, the moderator sends out “invitations” to participate (e.g., via e-mail or other messaging services). A facility that permits invitees to respond as to whether or not they will participate is often provided so that the moderator knows how many participants can be expected. Typically, the moderator can send out one or more reminders to prospective participants about the upcoming conference.
Networked conferencing systems typically integrate multiple communications mechanisms. For example, a typical conferencing system might permit text messaging, similar to IM, in conjunction with a virtual “whiteboard” whereby a presenter at the conference can transmit images and graphics to participant. There is often a capability for the presenter to perform live “highlighting” and marking on the virtual whiteboard. Other capabilities, such as interactive audio communications (e.g., via VOIP) and/or video images can be included in the conference resources available to participants. Typically, a moderator controls who is a “presenter” at any given time. The presenter is given access to the conference resources by the moderator for the purpose of presenting text, images, etc. to all of the participants.
Typically, the moderator can, “on the fly”, promote any participant to be the presenter, thereby allowing that participant to “drive” the conferencing system by controlling the conference resources. Conversely, a presenter whose presentation is completed can be demoted to participant status. The presenter controls exactly what conference participants see on their network-connected computers at any given time. Such networked conferencing generally provides such features as slideshows, desktop sharing, control passing, text messaging, file transfers, etc. Some systems include a “hand-raising” function whereby participants can indicate to the presenter or to the moderator that they have a question or other need to be recognized.
Networked conferencing systems typically employ a client-server architecture whereby each participant's client software (running on the participant's computer or work-station) connects to a conference server. When participant “logs in” to the conference, the participant's identification determines the permissions granted to his client software by the server. Accordingly, when the moderator of a conference logs in, he is given the broadest access rights to control the conference and change other participants' permissions (e.g., to be the presenter, to permit the participant to “speak” publicly to the group, etc.). The conference server controls all communications with the various clients according to a set of permissions granted to the conference participant logged in on that client.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical prior-art net-worked conferencing system 100. A web conference server 102 includes conference control services 104 and access control services 106 that govern access to conference resources 108 (e.g., whiteboard functions, images, video streaming, etc.) according to moderator permissions 112, presenter permissions 114, and other permissions 116. The moderator permission 112 are given only to the dedicated moderator, who in addition to the capabilities listed hereinabove (scheduling, inviting, reminding, etc) has the sole ability to convene the conference, adjourn the conference, admit and/or exclude specific participants, designate the presenter, etc. The presenter permissions 114 typically comprise a subset of moderator permissions that permit the presenter to “speak” to the conference, to place images and markings on the “whiteboard”, to acknowledge individual participants for questions/answers, etc. However, the presenter generally does not have over-all control of the conference and cannot designate other presenters. The “other” permissions 116 include access rights granted to general conference participants, including ability to view the “whiteboard” and other conference materials, to participate in discussions when appropriate, etc. Presenter permissions 114 can also be separate from the moderator permissions such that only the presenter has access to presentation functions. In such a system, the moderator would have to confer presenter status upon himself to gain direct access to presentation functions.
The conference server 102 communicates with clients 118A, 118B, 118C, 118D, 118E, . . . 118‘n’ via a communications network 110. The communications network 110 can be a corporate intranet, a wide area LAN, the Internet, or any suitable communications network. When a participant “logs in” via a client 118‘x’, the participant's login identity determines which set of access permissions apply. Access control services 106 determine, according to those permissions, which aspects of conference services can be controlled by each client 118‘x’, e.g., by refusing requests for access to unauthorized functions and/or by disabling user interface features that provide access to authorized functions. The moderator's login identity identifies him as the moderator, etc. In FIG. 1, a moderator participant at client 118A is logged in as the moderator, while conference participants at all other clients 118‘x’ are logged in as participants. The moderator can designate any participant to be a presenter, giving that participant presenter status as defined by the presenter permissions.
A significant problem with present conferencing systems is that a single individual (usually the individual that sets up the conference) is designated as the “moderator”. If, when the scheduled conference time arrives, the moderator is unavailable or is unable to access the conference system, the entire conference is delayed. Only the moderator can “convene” the conference. If the moderator steps away when one presenter finishes, the conference may become blocked while waiting for the moderator to designate another presenter or to permit general discussion. At any point, if the moderator becomes unavailable, it is possible that conference progress will cease until the moderator returns.
If moderator is delayed, the conference start may be delayed, with all participants left waiting. In the worst case, when the moderator is completely unavailable or cannot be reached, another person must initiate a new web conference, thereby making that person the moderator of the new conference. That person must quickly send notifications out to all of the participants informing them of the change of venue, wasting a great deal of time and creating the potential for miscommunications.